FIRM Update 3.24.08

FIRM is partnering with the National Training and InformationCenter around a major event in Washington, DC April 12-14 called National People’s Action. Please consider attending this event. For more information, go to www.npa-us.org.

Many organizations in FIRM are planning events on May 1st. If your organization is planning to hold an event on or around May 1, please send a brief description of the event to rstolz@communitychange.org by April 4, 2008.

Congress will be on recess for one more week before returning to Washington, DC April 1. Now is the time to keep the pressure on US Representatives to make sure they do not sign the discharge petition on the SAVE Act. For more information about the SAVE Act please contact rstolz@communitychange.org. T

Before wrapping up their legislative session, Utah enacted an anti-immigrant bill that will allow local law enforcement agencies to coordinate with federal immigration officials, require public employees and contractors to verify the legal status of workers, and forbid localities from adopting so-called sanctuary policies. The provisions of the bill will not be implemented until 2009 in hopes that a federal law may be enacted, and the bill did not include efforts to repeal in-state tuition. To view the legislation go to http://le.utah.gov/~2008/htmdoc/sbillhtm/SB0081S01.htm.

After a lot of waiting, the Department of Homeland Security is poised to release its new regulations on Social Security No Match letters next Tuesday. Please find attached a copy of the rule prior to publication. A number of national organizations have already begun to analyze the document; assuming that the regulation is released next week, anticipate a flurry of information, including action alerts in the coming days.

Last week the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) launched a new website: http://www.truthinimmigration.org/. The purpose of the web site is to bring attention to the myths and hate speech being aired against immigrants and immigrant communities.

On May 8, the Rights Working GroupLiberty and Justice for All Campaign will be holding The Night of 1000 Conversations in support of immigrant rights and civil liberties. For more information about the event, please go to http://www.rightsworkinggroup.org/?q=NOTC_May08.

The Southern Poverty Law Center will hold a live webcast on March 26 at 2 PM Eastern Time to brief interested parties on their Year in Hate report, including the exponential rise in hate crimes and hate speech against immigrants and immigrant communities. To register for the webcast go to: http://www.webcastgroup.com/client/start.asp?wid=0890326083995

The National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) is seeking an Immigrant Rights Project Manager. Job announcement attached.The National Immigration Forum announced this week that Ali Noorani, currently head of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, would take the Forum’s executive director position.